Man faces jail for sex assaults on children

The 56-year-old of High Street, Marshfield, admitted a series of indecent assaults against three different children over a nine year period.

Purkis has been warned by a crown court judge that a prison term is a likely outcome when he is sentenced next month.

Lynne Matthews, prosecuting at Swindon Crown Court, said that one of Purkis' victims was aged 14 when he started abusing her.

The girl, a daughter of a friend of his wife's, used to baby-sit for their children in the early 1990s.

She used to stay the night after looking after the youngsters while the couple were out and Purkis would try and carry out the abuse.

The girl told police that she used to baby-sit for the family on a regular basis between 1992 and 1994.

On three separate occasions she said Purkis had tried to put his hand in her pyjama bottoms while she slept and on a fourth occasion succeeded.

She said that after that episode she left the house as soon as he had gone upstairs to bed and walked three miles home.

A second girl also complained about being touched by Purkis in the summer of 2000 when she was ten.

The girl said the incident took place at a social club and had been witnessed by some of her young friends.

A third child, a boy, also told police that he had been indecently assaulted by Purkis in the early 90s when he was aged eight or nine.

When he was questioned by police Purkis described the children's allegations as absolute rubbish.

But he pleaded guilty to three counts of attempted indecent assault and one of indecent assault on the first girl, two indecent assaults on the second and three on the boy.

Sue Evans, defending, said that her client was a man of previous good character who currently lived alone.

Adjourning sentence Judge John McNaught released Purkis on bail but warned him custody was a real option.

"These are serious matters for which the court almost inevitably passes prison sentences," said the judge.